The Dallas Mavericks have traded Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in a salary-dump deal that marks the official beginning of the Cooper Flagg era in Dallas. The blockbuster eight-player trade sends Davis, D'Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy and Dante Exum to Washington in exchange for financial relief and draft assets, including Oklahoma City's first-round pick in June's draft.

Davis' brief stint in Dallas lasted just 29 regular-season games after being acquired in the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. The 10-time All-Star was plagued by injuries, including an adductor strain that sidelined him for six weeks during his debut season. His pairing with Kyrie Irving, which Dallas hoped would form a championship core, lasted less than three quarters after Irving suffered a torn ACL in early March.

With Flagg averaging 20.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 steals per game as a rookie, the Mavs are betting on the 19-year-old phenom to lead their rebuild. The trade provides Dallas with significant financial flexibility, dropping their payroll from an estimated $326 million to under the luxury tax while gaining access to the $15.1 million midlevel exception. The franchise now faces pressure to make smart decisions around their generational prospect rather than squandering another opportunity.